


Whumptober 29

by Waywocket



Category: Original Work
Genre: Comfort, Sickness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:14:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27258514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waywocket/pseuds/Waywocket
Summary: Johnathan is feeling sick again. Will this be the last time.
Kudos: 2
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Whumptober 29

Jonathan could feel it. He was getting bad again. The sickness was coming back, he could feel it starting. Maybe this time it would finally kill him.

Getting out of bed was rarely a problem for him, but when it was, he knew to be worried. It had been years since he was last sick like this. The sickness that the doctor couldn’t save him from, though everyone else was fine after a few days.

It always came back. He could make medicine that could stave it off a while, but without Tiffany’s help, it always came back. He had run out of the medicine she had made, but she had been too busy on the docks and planning a Giving celebration to be bothered, so he didn’t.

Finally, he pulled himself out of bed to scrub up for the day. Changing out of yesterday's clothes, he looked his chest over. Among the scars, there were dark red blotches. They were working their way up his neck and over his arms. It would take him down soon.

At least this time, he couldn’t give it to his mother. Staring at himself in the mirror, he scowled. At least he could only kill her once.

He had tried to lock himself in his room when it had happened. Tried to keep everyone else safe. But she had insisted that it was fine. She was too weak to fight it off. He hadn’t even recovered before his mother had died. The thanks he gave for being the only one to take a boy who couldn't hear.

Scrubbing his face, he washed up and put on his mask. There was a lot of work for him to do yet. The others would still need medicine, something to get them by for a while, one way or another.

It didn’t take long until the sweating started. He felt like he was sitting in a furnace. His shirt clung to him uncomfortably, but he couldn't stop now. Johnathan needed to be prepared.

Dizziness came next. If he could read, that would have been a bigger problem as things had gotten harder to see. His head was swimming as he reached for the next bottle. He cursed when he missed and knocked over his shelf. 

Before he could try and clean up, the coughing started. Doubling over, he tightly gripped his chest. It hurt. He didn't remember it hurting this much last time. It felt like his lungs were trying to break out of his chest. 

Everything hurt. Every movement was painful, like glass under his skin. His insides felt like they were trying to burn him alive. Any second and he would either melt or shatter into pieces. He didn’t know which he preferred.

How long had he been working? He had been working. He did something. Remembered making a mess. But for how long? How long did he have left? The harder he tried to focus on something, the harder it became. The world was spinning around him. He couldn’t even find his workbench.

Falling.

Still trying to focus on the world, he waited for the pain of hitting the ground. But the ground never met him. Jonathan scrunched his nose, trying to understand. He was pressed against something. Something soft. Something that vibrated? Wait.

A voice? Someone was talking. But why would they do that? The something wrapped around one of his arms and gently tugged on him. 

Stumbling, he followed along. The something wrapped around his back to hold him up. He wasn’t sure where they were going.

He looked around, trying to figure out what was happening. Moving his head made it swim uncomfortably. But he saw blonde, dark blonde hair. 

Tiffany. 

She had to all but drag him up the stairs into his room. He fell onto his bed and panicked briefly while she struggled to get him to lay down.

His focus is going, there was little more than a sensation. When there was nothing but hazy pain, he became all the more afraid. It wasn’t long until he forgot where he was, but he was too tired to move, too hot to make it worse.

When something cold touched his face, he looked around in a panic, still unable to see. Something lifted him. He couldn't fight it when something was pressed to his lips.

The bitter medicine nearly made him vomit when it touched his tongue. He tried to roll over to get away, but he couldn't. He wanted to fight, but his body wouldn't move how he wanted.

He felt someone grab his hand. Desperately, he held onto it. They squeezed tighter and gently tapped his knuckles. 

Laying back, he took a labored breath. Things weren’t so scary when Tiffany was there. She had always taken care of him. As long as she was there, he would be okay. Eventually.

As long as she was there to hold onto, everything was going to be okay. He just had to wait.


End file.
